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Related Manuals for 3DR Solo
Summary of Contents for 3DR Solo
- Page 1 ™ User Manual...
- Page 2 Tel. +1 (858) 225-1414 3dr.com Solo User Manual V4 © 2015 3D Robotics Inc. Solo is a trademark of 3D Robotics, Inc. GoPro, HERO, the GoPro logo, and the GoPro Be a HERO logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of GoPro, Inc.
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Page 3: Table Of Contents
Contents Introduction System Overview Aircraft Overview Controller Overview Operating Parameters Autopilot Propulsion LED Meanings Setup In the Box Battery Controller Propellers Camera Mobile App Safety Location Environmental Awareness Visual Line of Sight Flight School Propellers Home Position Altitude Limit Emergency Procedures 3.10 Flight Battery 3.11... - Page 4 Support Maintenance Controller Battery Replacement Calibrations Pairing Legs Battery Tray Motors Factory Reset Appendix 10.1 Specifications 10.2 Warranty 10.3 Regulatory Compliance...
- Page 5 Figure 6.2.3.2: Controller - Controller Signal Alerts Figure 2.6.4.4: App - Update Download in Progress Figure 6.2.4.1: Controller - GPS Signal Alerts Figure 2.6.4.5: App - Reconnect to Solo Wi-Fi Figure 6.2.5.1: Controller - Low Battery Alerts Figure 2.6.4.6: App - Start Update Figure 6.2.5.2: Controller - Critical Battery Alert...
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Page 6: Introduction
1.1.3 The “3DR Solo” app outputs a live video stream from an onboard GoPro® camera to an Android or iOS device. The app allows you to view the live video with overlaid telemetry and access a simplified graphic interface for controlling Solo’s advanced functions. -
Page 7: Aircraft Overview
Motors and Propellers Solo’s arms are labeled one through four on the ends of the arms. Motors on arms #1 and #2 spin counterclockwise and use clockwise-tightening propellers with silver tops. Motors on arms #3 and #4 spin clockwise and use counterclockwise-tightening propellers with black tops. -
Page 8: Controller Overview
The controller’s long-range dipole antennas communicate with Solo during flight. See Section 3.12 for proper antenna configuration. 1.3.10 Gimbal Controls The paddle, buttons, and dial on the top of the controller are used to control the Solo Gimbal. They can also be used in some Smart Shots. -
Page 9: Operating Parameters
Options Figure 1.3.10.1: Controller Overview Operating Parameters The following operating parameters apply to Solo. Always operate Solo within these parameters. Solo’s performance and behaviors are not guaranteed when conditions violate the parameters listed below. Figure 1.4.10.1: Solo Operating Parameters Estimated flight time... -
Page 10: Autopilot
256 KB of RAM. Combined with an array of CAN, I2C, SPI, PWM, and UART interfaces, Pixhawk 2 uses a suite of onboard sensors to calculate Solo’s orientation and motion in flight. This data is input into ArduPilot’s inertial navigation and position estimation algorithms and combined with control inputs to send commands to Solo’s... -
Page 11: Setup
Figure 2.1.10.1: Solo Parts Battery Solo is powered by the rechargeable Solo Smart Battery that provides up to 25 minutes of flight time per full charge. (Keep in mind that flight time depends on payload, wind conditions, elevation, temperature, humidity, flying style and pilot skill, so the actual flight time may vary.) As a lithium polymer battery, the Solo Smart Battery requires specific... -
Page 12: Figure 2.2.1.1: Solo Battery Charging
Powering To power Solo, insert the battery into Solo’s battery bay and slide the battery forward until it clicks into place. Press and hold the battery power button to turn on Solo. When Solo powers on, the battery will display an LED animation and you will hear the startup tone. -
Page 13: Controller
Controller The Solo controller includes a pre-installed rechargeable lithium ion (Li-ion) battery. 2.3.1 Charging Charge the controller using the designated controller charger only; using a different charger can damage the controller or cause a fire. To charge the controller, connect the controller charger to the barrel jack on the side of the controller and to a wall outlet. -
Page 14: Propellers
Propellers Solo uses two types of self-tightening propellers, indicated by the color of the circle at the center of the propeller. 2.4.1 Attaching Attach the propellers with silver tops to the motors with a silver dot on the top of the motor shaft, and attach the black-top propellers to the motors with black dots. -
Page 15: Figure 2.5.1.1: Attach Camera
EXIT Set the GoPro ® medium field of view: GoPro ® Settings Figure 2.5.2.1: Camera Configuration Process Make sure that the Wi-Fi on your GoPro is turned OFF. It can interfere ® with Solo’s communication signals and cause unexpected behavior. -
Page 16: Mobile App
Visit 3dr.com/soloapp or download “3DR Solo” from the App Store or Google Play Store. 3DR Solo works with iOS 8.0 or later and Android 4.3 or later. For Android, you must also install the “3DR Services” app to your device. -
Page 17: Figure 2.6.3.2: App - Wi-Fi Settings
Ensure that both the controller and Solo are powered, the controller has at least 50% battery remaining, and the app is connected to Solo Wi-Fi. The total update process can take up to 10 minutes. -
Page 18: Figure 2.6.4.4: App - Update Download In Progress
Figure 2.6.4.5: App - Reconnect to Solo Wi-Fi When the app detects an active connection with the controller, it will prompt you to begin the update. (Solo and the controller must be powered on to connect to Solo Wi-Fi.) Select Begin to start the update. -
Page 19: Figure 2.6.4.9: Controller Update Complete Displays
When the update is complete, Solo’s LEDs will turn green, the controller will return to the standard takeoff screen, Returns user to hold-Fly-button screen and the app will show that the software is up to date. After displaying green, Solo’s LEDs will return to the standard Hold... -
Page 20: Safety
Solo flies outside the safe flying area. Visual Line of Sight Always fly Solo within your visual line of sight. Don’t let Solo get so far away from you that you cannot see its orientation or so that any physical obstructions block your view of Solo. -
Page 21: Propellers
GPS lock. The location of the home position depends on GPS signal strength and is usually within 1 to 2 meters of accuracy. Always take off from an open location with a clear path for Solo to return home safely. -
Page 22: Emergency Procedures
3.9.4 Land To land Solo at its current position, press and hold the Fly button. Lift the throttle at any time to exit the landing KILL SWITCH UI - EMERGENCY MOTOR SHUTOFF procedure. If Solo does not have GPS lock, there will be no automatic positioning as Solo descends, and drifting may occur depending on environmental conditions. -
Page 23: 3.10 Flight Battery
3.12 Antenna Configuration For the strongest connection to Solo, position the antennas down and away from the controller so they are approximately perpendicular with Solo in flight, and tilt each antenna out and away from one another at a 20° angle. 20°... -
Page 24: First Flight
Activating Motors When Solo is ready to fly, the controller will prompt you to hold the Fly button to start Solo’s motors. Hold Fly until the propellers spin. Solo is now active, ready for takeoff, and needs to be treated with appropriate caution to avoid MOTOR START &... -
Page 25: Landing
Hold to take off are on. LED becomes solid white when takeo begins. Hold Fly again to initiate takeoff. Solo will rise to 10 feet (3 m) and hover until receiving further control inputs. AUTO-LAND Cable Cam Orbit TAKEOFF PART 2... -
Page 26: Return Home
Return Home The Home button ends your flight automatically by returning Solo to the home position (launch point) and landing. When commanded to Return Home, Solo: 1 Achieves a minimum altitude of 49 feet (15 m) or maintains current altitude if above 98 feet. -
Page 27: Joystick Control
Joystick Control The controller’s two joysticks allow you to navigate Solo in flight. The left stick controls Solo’s altitude and rotation. ROTATE ROTATE Left Stick LEFT RIGHT DOWN Figure 4.6.2.1: Controller Left Joystick Move the left stick vertically to control Solo’s altitude and acceleration. -
Page 28: Figure 4.6.2.3: Yaw Joystick Behavior
Figure 4.6.2.3: Yaw Joystick Behavior Use the right stick to fly Solo forward, back, left, and right. These movements are relative to Solo’s current orientation, so always maintain awareness of Solo’s forward-facing direction before using right-stick controls. FORWARD... -
Page 29: Figure 4.6.2.5: Pitch Joystick Controls
Figure 4.6.2.6: Roll Joystick Controls Right Yaw If you’re new to drones, take some time to learn the basics before your first flight. Visit 3dr.com/solo/info or check out Flight School in the Solo Deactivate app to learn about flight controls and best practices. -
Page 30: App Interface Overview
App Interface Overview The Solo app provides a simplified interface for viewing Solo’s video feed and managing Smart Shots. Figure 4.7.2.1: App - Main Interface Live video feed Main menu Horizontal distance from home Altitude Shot List Flight battery percentage remaining... -
Page 31: Smart Shots
200 feet (61 m) behind and above Solo. Once Selfie is activated, Solo will fly up and away from the subject to a point 164 feet (50 m) from the subject at 82 feet (25 m) altitude. -
Page 32: Cable Cam
Press A on the controller, or select Cable Cam from the Shot List on the app. Both devices will prompt you to fly Solo to your first point and press A to save it as the first Cable Cam point. Then fly to your second point and press B to save the second point. -
Page 33: Figure 5.2.1.1: App - Cable Cam Setup
B. Release the right stick to pause along the cable. Use the left stick to temporarily override the camera and look left and right. Press Pause at any time to stop Solo; press Fly to exit to standard flight. -
Page 34: Orbit
5.3.2 Orbit Operation Tap the left and right arrows to fly Solo along the Orbit path. The default cruise speed for Orbit is 2.2 mph (1 m/s). Figure 5.3.2.1: App - Orbit Controls To control Orbit using the controller, move the right stick left and right to fly Solo along the Orbit path. Move the right stick up to reduce the radius of the orbit and move Solo closer to the subject;... -
Page 35: Follow
Follow subject is engaged in an activity that prevents them from using the controller, you are required to use a safety pilot during Follow. The subject will carry the mobile device and be followed by Solo, and the safety pilot will hold the controller and be ready to regain manual control at any time. -
Page 36: Figure 5.4.2.1: Follow Controls
Once activated, Solo will automatically follow the mobile device wherever the subject carries it. In the app, the subject can press the left and right arrows to orbit Solo around them. On the controller, move the right stick up and down to adjust the following distance, and move the right stick left and right to orbit around the subject. -
Page 37: Alerts
Alert persists until: Alert persists until: If Solo is not placed on a level surface, you will receive the following alert to move Solo to a level surface for takeoff. User completes calibration using the app (sys then continues sensor check) -
Page 38: In-Flight Errors
Solo. We recommend having an active connection to the Solo app at all times during flight. Refer Press to dismiss to Section 2.6 for connecting to Solo Wi-Fi with the app. Solo will not return home if the connection to the app in lost during flight. GPS signal lost (Switches to FLY: Manual) -
Page 39: Figure 6.2.2.1: Controller - App Connection Alerts
Signal recovered If GPS is lost during flight, Solo will switch into Fly:Manual. In the event of a loss of GPS, we recommend landing Emergency landing started Solo and waiting to acquire GPS lock before taking off again. -
Page 40: Figure 6.2.4.1: Controller - Gps Signal Alerts
ALTITUDE Alert persists until user sets home If the battery reaches 5%, Solo will Return Home to prevent a crash. After landing, turn off Solo immediately; if the HAPTIC: 20 milliseconds every 3 seconds until press battery level reaches 0% at any time, irreversible damage will occur and the battery should be recycled. -
Page 41: Advanced Settings
This section provides instructions for accessing and using Solo’s advanced features and settings. Advanced Flight Modes Are you a quadcopter pro? We designed Solo to be simple and reliable, but also really fun to fly. Solo includes five advanced flight modes: FLY:Manual, stabilize, acro, sport, and drift. -
Page 42: Enabling Advanced Flight Modes
Once enabled, advanced flight modes can be accessed only be assigning them to the controller’s A and B buttons using the app. In the app, select Preset A or Preset B from the Solo menu. (The app must be connected to Solo to apply button assignments.) Once assigned, use the controller to activate advanced modes during flight. -
Page 43: Performance Adjustment
Maximum Altitude Adjustment To adjust the altitude limit, select Altitude Limit from the Solo menu. If you choose to select No limit, ensure that you always operate Solo within your visual line of sight and in compliance with local regulations. -
Page 44: Support
Support 3DR Support is here to help you get the most out of Solo. If you have any questions, please contact us at support@3dr.com or give us a call at 1 (855) 982-2898 (toll free in the US and Canada) or direct at +1 (858) 225- 1414. -
Page 45: Calibrations
Solo and connect the app to Solo Wi-Fi. Select Level Calibration from the Solo menu, and follow the prompts to place Solo perfectly still on each side in turn. In each step, wait a few seconds after moving Solo to press Next. -
Page 46: Pairing
Figure 9.3.2.1: Solo Pair Button The controller will automatically detect Solo and prompt you to pair. This can take up to 3 minutes. Hold the A and B buttons on the controller to start pairing. To cancel pairing, press B. -
Page 47: Legs
Legs Solo uses three unique types of legs: 2 legs with an antenna module (#1 and #2), a leg without any electronic components (leg #3), and a leg with a compass module (leg #4). Replacements for all types of leg can be purchased from store.3dr.com or an authorized retailer. -
Page 48: Figure 9.4.2.1: Detaching The Antenna From The Leg
Figure 9.4.2.1: Detaching the Antenna from the Leg Attach the new leg by threading the antenna cable through the notch in the top of the leg (1) and securing the leg using the provide screws (2). Figure 9.4.2.2: Attaching a New Leg with an Existing Antenna To secure the antenna to the new leg, use the provided Velcro to attach only the yellow-backed Velcro strip to the Velcro on the antenna. -
Page 49: Figure 9.4.3.1: Compass Connector On Mainboard
Leg #4 with Compass Solo’s right-rear leg (#4) contains the compass module. Start by detaching the leg from the arm as you would a standard leg, but the leg will not be removable until you disconnect the compass from Solo. To access the compass connector, you’ll need to remove the battery tray from Solo. -
Page 50: Battery Tray
Solo. Figure 9.5.2.1: Battery Tray Removal The battery tray will still be connected to Solo via the GPS cable, so carefully lift out the tray just enough to access the board beneath. GPS connector... -
Page 51: Motors
Motors Replacement motors are available as clockwise and counterclockwise Motor Pods. Use a counterclockwise Motor Pod to replace motors #1 and #2, and use a clockwise Motor Pod to replace motors #3 and #4. Replace motor pods every 150 hours of flight or when they can no longer turn smoothly. To replace a Motor Pod, first, use a small, flat prying tool to remove the LED cover form the underside of the arm. -
Page 52: Figure 9.6.2.3: Motor Pod Disconnection
Figure 9.6.2.4: Motor Pod Connection Turn over Solo and secure the new motor pod into place using the 4 provided screws. Do not reuse the screws from the old Motor Pod. Finally, snap the LED cover back into place. -
Page 53: Factory Reset
Solo. Performing a factory reset restores Solo and the controller to their state prior to the first flight update. Use a factory reset if you forget your Solo Wi-Fi password or need to restore Solo’s factory settings. -
Page 54: 10 Appendix
10 Appendix 10.1 Specifications Solo is a quad-rotor aerial vehicle powered by the 3DR Pixhawk 2 autopilot system and APM:Copter flight control software. Solo communicates with the controller and Solo app over the 3DR Link secure Wi-Fi connection. Autopilot: 3DR Pixhawk 2... -
Page 55: 10.2 Warranty
10.2 Warranty 3D Robotics warrants to the original retail purchaser of Solo (the “Product”) that at the time of purchase that this product is free from material defect in materials and workmanship. Should this Product fail during normal consumer usage and conditions due to defective material or workmanship within one year from the date of purchase, or such longer period as is required by applicable law (“Warranty Period”), such defect(s) will be repaired or replaced at 3D... - Page 56 The body’s Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) for the Solo controller is 1.33 watts per kilogram (W/kg) in compliance with the FCC limit of 1.6 W/kg. To reduce exposure to RF energy, hold Solo at least 20 cm away from your body at all times during operation.